Determination by psaps of caller location based on the wifi hot spots detected and reported by the caller&#39;s device(s)

ABSTRACT

Location information associated with a wireless access point is used to assist with emergency call routing. Additionally, the location information can be used to assist with determining where an emergency call is physically originating from. This location information is one or more of enterable, detectable and/or populated with the assistance of a location determining device, such as a GPS, associated with the wireless network. The location information can also be dynamic to account for mobile wireless access points, such as a mobile access point provided on public transportation. The location information is also associatiable with an outbound communication, such as an emergency communication, with this location information usable to route the communication to an appropriate entity(ies).

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. Application Ser.No. 61/559,220 filed Nov. 14, 2011, entitled “DETERMINATION BY PSAPS OFCALLER LOCATION BASED ON THE WiFi HOT SPOTS DETECTED AND REPORTED BY THECALLER'S DEVICE(S),” which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

Exemplary aspects are directed to enhanced communications. Morespecifically, exemplary embodiments are directed toward determiningcaller location at least using WiFi information.

BACKGROUND

When a call is placed to a 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)from a landline PSTN telephone, the PSAP is able to determine thecaller's location based on the Caller ID information supplied with thecall. This approach is not feasible when the caller is using a cellulartelephone. Instead, the PSAP must rely on triangulation among the celltowers that have detected the phone (usually not adequately precise) orthe automatic self-reporting of GPS coordinates by the phone (often notavailable, even with phones that have an inherent GPS capability due toline of sight limitations and the effects of building shielding).

SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment of the disclosed technology addresses at leasttwo problems.

The first:

The popularity of mobile telecommunication devices that have no GPSfunctionality and no cellular connectivity is increasing. These devicesare commonly operated in conjunction with WiFi hot spots—a laptopcomputer running Avaya IP Softphone in “road warrior mode” being a goodexample. These devices are not be able to report their GPS coordinatesto PSAPs and are not locatable via cell tower triangulation in that theyhave no cellular connectivity.

The second problem:

Location information can help ensure rapid routing of calls to theappropriate emergency response facility. The following example thatrelates to a large mass transit railroad system exemplifies the problem:

Most mass transit systems in the US have emergency response jurisdictionand responsibility for what happens on transit system property. For thisreason, many of the larger transit systems have their own emergencyresponse centers and their own specially trained and equipped firstresponders. An example of the problem has to do with 9-1-1 calls madefrom moving trains. Because these calls are presently routed to thelocal community's 9-1-1 center, instead of to the transit system'semergency response center, the response is often delayed andinappropriate for reasons that include: (1) the 9-1-1 center will notknow initially that the call is coming from a moving train, (2) the9-1-1 center will not know where to send the emergency respondersbecause the train is moving, and (3) the 9-1-1 center will not have theauthority to dispatch, or often even the ability to contact, the transitsystem's first responders—i.e., the first responders who have theauthority, special equipment, and special training to handle the event.

For both of these problems, a location-reporting technique that couldoptionally supplement or take the place of the current triangulation andGPS techniques is required.

One fundamental idea underlying exemplary embodiments andimplementations is that mobile communication devices be able to detectand report the available WiFi hot spots. An examination by the PSAP ofthe names associated or assigned to the WiFi hotspots could yieldlocation information beyond that presented by the techniques that arepresently employed. Illustratively, noting that many Amtrak® trainsoffer WiFi service, a call from a passenger on Amtrak Train #174 couldbe expected to show “Amtrak Train 174” as an available WiFi hot spot. Inthe same way that GPS data (when available) can be reported to the PSAPautomatically upon request by the PSAP, the presence of “Amtrak Train174” as an available WiFi hot spot could also be reported, regardless ofwhether the mobile telecommunication device is communicating via theWiFi link or via a direct link to a cell tower.

The SSID (or Service Set IDentifier) names and identifies a wirelessnetwork. The identifier is something that access points can optionallybroadcast to client devices (communication devices) to announce thepresence of the access point. The SSID denotes the name of a network ona Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and can typically be any name upto thirty-two (32) characters in length.

An exemplary embodiment would also assemble and report the names of theavailable WiFi hot spots and their relative signal strengths.

Using the Amtrak® example, automatic mechanisms that could ensure therapid inclusion of the Amtrak® emergency response center include (butare not limited to) the following:

A call that is directed initially to a local 9-1-1 PSAP, that includes“Amtrak Train 174” as the only available hot spot, or only hot spot witha high signal strength, could be redirected automatically by that PSAPto the Amtrak emergency response center.

By utilizing the “conference room” metaphor that is inherent in the nextgeneration PSAP architecture, a 9-1-1 call that includes “Amtrak Train174” as an available hot spot could cause a conference room to becreated in which the caller, local emergency response, and Amtrakemergency response are joined automatically in a multi-party conference.

A network resource, rather than the emergency response center thatreceives the call, could examine the WiFi data and perform the automaticcall routing and/or conference creation described above.

Note that there are use cases outside of the above-described masstransit scenario, in which the fundamental problem is that the caller'sdevice is connected via WiFi and is not locatable via GPS or cell towertriangulation. As is true of the mass transit scenario, the detection ofavailable WiFi hot spots with identifiable names (e.g., “BestRate Inn,Westminster”) can allow useful information about the caller's locationto be inferred. The provided information would include the WiFi hot spotpresently being used, along with information about the other hot spotsthat are within range. (Even if the device is connected via wiredEthernet, reporting the available WiFi hot spots would be feasible anddesirable.) If it is detected that the relative signal strengths amongthe detected spots are constant and non-varying, this would imply thatthe caller is not moving. By contrast, if it is detected that therelative signal strengths are changing, such that some signals aregetting stronger while others are getting weaker, this would suggest notonly that the caller is moving but also the direction of movement.

An exemplary aspect of the proposed solution at least provides emergencyresponse centers and resources with a new source of easily obtainabledata that help allow the caller's location to be determined.

Embodiments also provide for using network information (as analternative or in addition to cellular and/or GPS network information)to assist with determining the location of a caller, for example, toassist with emergency response.

Other embodiments include a communication device, with at least onenon-transitory computer readable medium; at least one processor; and anapplication stored in the at least one computer readable medium andrunning on the processor. The application is configured to detectavailable wireless networks, such as WiFi network(s), and forwardinformation associated with the wireless network to a PSAP or comparableemergency assistance resource. The application is also able to determinewhen a 9-1-1 call has been made.

Other embodiments are related to associating a new field with SSIDinformation (Service Set Identification) that is broadcast or otherwiseavailable from wireless networks. This new field can include locationinformation associated with the wireless network, such as physicallocation information, route information, or in general any informationassociated with the actual location of the network. Furthermore, thisnew field(s) can be supplemented by the communications device to includeinformation indicating whether the signal strength associated with thewireless network is changing and provide trend information indicatingwhether the signal strength is increasing or decreasing. Historicalinformation regarding wireless networks that were recently available tothe communications device could also be accessed and employed andoptionally forwarded to the PSAP.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, informationacquired from one or more small area wireless network(s), private and/orpublic wireless networks(s), inflight internet services, commutinginternet services, or the like, can be used to assist with determining alocation of a caller. This information can be used, for example, toassist with first responders and PSAP emergency response.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, a service maps,recognizes and/or stores WiFi locations. These locations can beidentified by one or more of GPS coordinates, street address, location,etc. For example, a WiFi's location can be registered with a PSAP toprovide extra granularity and location information to the PSAP for thatnetwork. For example and expanding upon the above example, there may betwo or more BestRate Inns in Westminster. Each BestRate Inn can registertheir WiFi service. This registration can be in a central repositoryassociated with the PSAP or in general at any location available to thePSAP. Along with this registration is a record of where the WiFi serviceis located.

Expanding further on the above idea, the wireless network ID (SSID)could include or be appended with specific location information. Forexample, a moving WiFi network ID could be dynamically updated based onroute information, GPS information or in general any available locationinformation. As an example, an Amtrack® train from Denver to Albuquerquecould automatically update the WiFi SSID on to the train to “AmtrakTrain 174 from Denver to Albuquerque—Car 4.” This could be performedusing a simple look-up since the destination of the train would clearlybe known and the MAC address could be associated with a particularcar(s). This information could then be associated with the outbound9-1-1 call and forwarded to the PSAP.

As the train progresses from Denver to Albuquerque, the SSID couldfurther by dynamically updated at one or more of the stops on the routeor based on schedule information. For example, the SSID could be updatedto be “Amtrak Train 174 from Denver to Albuquerque—Car 4, 12:36 pm,Durango, Colo.” In this example, one or more of the network on thetrain, a dispatcher, the train operator, a GPS module and/or some otherentity/service/application recognizes when the train arrives in Durangoand updates the SSID based thereon. In this manner, the SSID can be tiedto the location of the mobile WiFi network.

Expanding even further upon this concept, the WiFi router could includeGPS or other location-based detection services which could be used toassist with determining a location of a caller in a similar manner.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the name of the WiFinetwork can be mapped to an IP address. This IP address can then bemapped to a location, for example, with the assistance of telco,internet service provider, lookup table, router/switch, networkresource, or the like, or other database record(s). The location of theIP address, and hence the WiFi location, is therefore known and can beused to assist in determining a caller's location.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, because many WiFihotspot names are unlikely to be unique (and therefore not entirelyuseful for location purposes), the system could parse WiFi clusterinformation. More specifically, the system could look at common names 1,2, 3, and 4 all occurring in a cluster—i.e., all within range of auser's device. This cluster of names, not the name of the single hotspotto which a caller might be registered, would then be used to determinethe location. In that the likelihood that the cluster of commonly namedhotspots 1, 2, 3, and 4 is unique, a location could be determined basedon the cluster, e.g., Cluster ID.

This Cluster ID could then be associated with location information andinclude identifications of each WiFi network included in the cluster.

As another example, presence information could also be used to assistwith determining location information. For example, a system could dipinto calendar information or other information relevant to a caller'stravel plans on the caller's device to assist with determining where thecaller may be. This could optionally be reconciled against availableWiFi information to assist with confirming a traveler's location. As amore detailed example, a caller could have stored on theircommunications device a paperless boarding pass (e-ticket). If a 9-1-1call is made, the communications device could query information on thedevice, such as the current day's calendar, and determine if there isinformation relevant to travel plans on the calendar. If informationsuch as an e-ticket is present, one or more portions of information fromthe e-ticket could also be associated with the outbound 9-1-1 call.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, SIP messaging could bemodified such that, for example, the SIP INVITE (or other portion of aSIP message) includes location information. As an example:

INVITE sip:9-1-1@ipaddress.com SIP/2.0Via:SIP/2.0/UDP ipaddress.com/portCall-ID:sef435@ipaddress.comFrom sip:mobiledevice@ipaddress.comTo: sip:9-1-1@ipaddress.comLocation: “Amtrak Train 174 from Denver to Albuquerque—Car 4, 12:36 pm,Durango, Colo.”

The location information, as discussed, could not only assist withdetermining a caller's location, but also be used to assist with(re)routing the 9-1-1 call to the appropriate authorities/resources.

Appreciating that a SIP communication may transition to a non-SIPnetwork, one exemplary embodiment includes the ability to translate thelocation information associated with the SIP communication to a non-SIPformat. For example, at the network boundary where the SIP communicationis translated into a circuit-switched type of communication, thelocation information could be used to populate the caller-idinformation. The location information could also be included in asoundbyte, data packet or in general in any manner that would allow theconveyance of the location information through other network(s).

In accordance with another embodiment, the placing of a 9-1-1 call, orother means of contacting a PSAP or emergency service, triggers thelogging of networks, such as WiFi networks, that are available, becomeavailable and/or are no longer available as the caller's device moves.This can, for example, be used with one or more of the other featuresdescribed herein to assist in tracking a 9-1-1 caller and/or providingadditional location information that may be useful to the PSAP or otherfirst responders. As the information regarding available networks can bechanging, this information can be logged and current networkinformation, which is correlatable to position, dynamically updated andprovided to, for example, the PSAP or other entity.

As discussed above, the location information could also be used toassist with (re)routing a 9-1-1 call. In accordance with anotherexemplary embodiment, PSAPs may want the ability to reestablish contactif there is a disconnection. This same information could also be used toby, for example, the PSAP to assist with re-establishing a connectionwith the 9-1-1 caller if, for example, the communication is lost. Whilethe reconnection could be using the same media type, the reconnectionwould not have to be via the same media type. For example, if a callerlost voice connectivity, or perhaps felt it was unsafe to speak, a PSAPsability to establish an IM session (or any other communication via anyone or more media type(s)) with the caller could be pretty useful. With,for example, SIP/IMS having roots in 3GPP2, both are possible.

In accordance with yet another example, the location info in the SIPINVITE could include the hot spot/WiFi data, as described above.Furthermore, automatic retransmission via SIP signaling of the locationand/or hot spot data at specific time intervals and/or if a change inthe data above a certain threshold is detected and/or upon request bythe PSAP (i.e., not solely during call set-up) could occur.

The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-endedexpressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. Forexample, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at leastone of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, one or more of “A, B,or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and Btogether, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.

The term “in communication with” as used herein refers to any coupling,connection, or interaction using electrical signals to exchangeinformation or data, using any system, hardware, software, protocol, orformat.

The term “a” or an entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such,the terms “a” (or “an”), one or more and at least one can be usedinterchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms“comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably.

The term “automatic” and variations thereof, as used herein, refers toany process or operation done without material human input when theprocess or operation is performed. However, a process or operation canbe automatic, even though performance of the process or operation usesmaterial or immaterial human input, if the input is received beforeperformance of the process or operation. Human input is deemed to bematerial if such input influences how the process or operation will beperformed. Human input that consents to the performance of the processor operation is not deemed to be “material”.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to anynon-transitory tangible storage that participates in providinginstructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium may take manyforms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media,and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, NVRAM,or magnetic or optical disks. Volatile media includes dynamic memory,such as main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include,for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape,or any other magnetic medium, magneto-optical medium, a CD-ROM, anyother optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical mediumwith patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, a solidstate medium like a memory card, any other memory chip or cartridge, orany other medium from which a computer can read. When thecomputer-readable media is configured as a database, it is to beunderstood that the database may be any type of database, such asrelational, hierarchical, object-oriented, and/or the like. Accordingly,embodiments are considered to include a tangible storage medium andprior art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations of the embodiments are stored.

The terms “determine”, “calculate” and “compute,” and variationsthereof, as used herein, are used interchangeably and include any typeof methodology, process, mathematical operation or technique.

The term “module” as used herein refers to any known or later developedhardware, software, firmware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, orcombination of hardware and software that is capable of performing thefunctionality associated with that element. Also, while exemplaryembodiments are described, it should be appreciated that individualaspects of the embodiments can be separately claimed.

The term “communication device” as used herein refers to any mobilecommunication device, mobile phone, smart phone, telephone, soft phone,mobile computer, tablet computer, laptop computer, pad, tablet,computer, computer with VOIP capabilities, SIP communicationcapabilities, or the like.

The term “communication” as used herein refers to data exchanged betweentwo or more communication devices, some non-limiting examples includingone or more telephone calls, voicemails, emails, instant messages, textmessages, multimedia messages, video messages, and the like. Thetechniques will be illustrated below in conjunction with an exemplaryelectronic communications system, such as a mobile communication systemand infrastructure. Although well suited for use with, e.g., a systemusing a computer/electronic device, server(s), communications devices,mobile communication device(s), and/or database(s), the embodiments arenot limited to use with any particular type of electronic device(s) orsystem or configuration of system elements. Those skilled in the artwill recognize that the disclosed techniques may be used in anyapplication in which it is desirable to provide enhanced collaborationand communication capabilities.

The terms WiFi, wireless network, wireless local area network (WLAN) andencrypted or non-encrypted WLAN's may be used interchangeably.Additionally, a wireless access point (WAP) is a device that allows oneor more wireless devices to connect to a wired network using, forexample, WiFi, Bluetooth®, or related standards. The WAP usuallyconnects to a router (via a wired network), and can relay data betweenthe wireless devices (such as computers, mobile communications devices,etc) and at least wired device on the network.

As will be appreciated, while 9-1-1 is used an exemplary emergencycontact number, other countries' equivalent emergency numbers could alsobe used such as the European Union's, “1-1-2” emergency number.

It is also to be appreciated that that PSAP is being used genericallyfor one or more of the following: PSAP; MER Team (Medical EmergencyResponse Team) as may exist in large facilities; transit emergencyresponse team; and/or any other entity that has jurisdiction orinvolvement in an emergency and/or as a first responder.

The exemplary systems and methods will also be described in relation tosoftware (such as drivers), modules, and associated hardware. However,to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the followingdescription omits well-known structures, components and devices that maybe shown in block diagram form, are well known, or are otherwisesummarized.

For purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order toprovide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It should beappreciated, however, that the techniques disclosed herein may bepracticed in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forthherein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the appendedfigures:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating greater detail of the wirelessnetwork emergency application.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating in great detail an exemplarywireless access point.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating in great detail an exemplaryPSAP.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a second exemplary communicationsenvironment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of associatinglocation information with a wireless network.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of associatinglocation information with an emergency communication.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of changing anemergency communication modality.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The ensuing description provides embodiments only, and is not intendedto limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims.Rather, the ensuing description will provide those skilled in the artwith an enabling description for implementing the embodiments. It beingunderstood that various changes may be made in the function andarrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communications environment 100. Thecommunications environment, in addition to well known componentry,includes a mobile communications device 200, one or more PSAPs 300, oneor more WiFi or wireless network databases/repositories 400, one or morewireless access points 500-506 and one or more mobile wireless accesspoints 508, all interconnected by one or more networks 10 and links 5.

The exemplary mobile communication device 200 includes, in addition towell known componentry, a wireless network emergency app 204, a wirelessnetwork database 208, controller/processor 212, wireless networkregistry 216, and memory 220. As will be discussed in greater detailbelow, the wireless network emergency app, as illustrated in FIG. 2,includes a SIP module 2042, a modality module 2044, a signal strengthmodule 2046, and a presence module 2048.

Each exemplary wireless access point 500 includes, as shown in FIG. 3,and in addition to well known componentry, a WAP registration module5002, a WAP GPS 5004 and a WAP update module 5006.

Each exemplary PSAP 300 can include, as shown in FIG. 4, a reverse 9-1-1module 3002, a modality module 3004, and a logging module 3006.

In a first exemplary mode of operation, the mobile communication device200 initiates, with the cooperation of the wireless network emergencyapp 204, a 9-1-1 call to a PSAP. In this exemplary embodiment, and asillustrated in FIG. 1, the mobile communication device 200 is associatedwith WAP3 504. This association is recorded and maintained by thewireless network registry 216 such that when the wireless networkemergency app 204 detects an outbound 9-1-1 communication, associatedwith the outbound 9-1-1 application is location information associatedwith WAP3 504.

More specifically, and as discussed in greater detail herein below, theWAP3 504 can have associated with it information about the physicallocation at which the WAP is installed. This location information can bestored in the wireless network registry 216 upon the mobilecommunication device establishing a communication with a wireless accesspoint. Thus, for example, as discussed above, if the outbound 9-1-1communication is a SIP-based communication, and in cooperation with theSIP module 2042, the SIP location field can be utilized to forward thelocation of the wireless access point in the SIP INVITE message.

In a similar manner, and for a packet-based communication, associatedwith the outbound 9-1-1 communication can be information including theidentification and/or location of the wireless access point (WiFi). Thislocation information can be used by the network 10 (and an associatednetwork resource) to assist with routing the 9-1-1 communication to theappropriate PSAP 300 and/or another responsible entity such as a MERTeam, transit emergency response team, and/or any other entity that hasjurisdiction or involvement in an emergency.

Location information can be associated with the various wireless accesspoints 500-508 in a number of different ways. In accordance with a firstexemplary embodiment, and upon initialization of a wireless accesspoint, such as during setup, a user can be prompted to enter thephysical address and location information of where the wireless accesspoint is setup.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, where the wirelessaccess point may be equipped with GPS capability, or other capabilitiesthat allow for the wireless access point to determine, or with thecooperation of another device, the location in which it is installed,the wireless access point in cooperation with the wireless access pointregistration module 5002 can maintain the necessary informationregarding where it is physically located.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, discussedhereinafter, wireless access points can enter a special query mode thatallows a wireless network location logger 600 to associate a physicallocation with an SSID associated with the wireless access point (WiFi).

Upon location information being associated with a wireless access point,this information can optionally be forwarded and stored in the WiFidatabase/repository 400. This forwarding can occur one or more ofmanually, automatically, at a user's request, or some combinationthereof. This information can be used to assist with routing a 9-1-1communication to the appropriate PSAP 300.

Appreciating that wireless access points and WiFi networks may be mobile(such as mobile WAP 508), each exemplary wireless access point, asillustrated in FIG. 3, includes the wireless access point registrationmodule 5002, the WAP GPS 5004, and the WAP update module 5006.

The WAP update module 5006 can update the location information stored inthe WAP registration module 5002 based on a detected change in locationof the wireless access point. For example, this indication of a changein location can be manual, such as entered by a user, or it can bedetected based on a change in location as indicated by the WAP GPS unit5004. Thus, for example, as the wireless access point moves from a firstlocation to a second location, and this distance is sufficient enough totrigger a location updating routine, WAP GPS 5004 forwards the newlocation information, such as GPS coordinates, to the WAP registrationmodule 5002 which it then uses as the “new” location information for themobile wireless access point.

More specifically, assume wireless access point 508 is a mobile wirelessaccess point. This wireless access point has an associated rule thatstates upon the mobile access point having moved two miles, the updatedphysical location associated with the current location of the mobileaccess point is updated and this information used when an outbound 9-1-1communication is made via the mobile WAP 508.

In accordance with a second exemplary embodiment, the mobilecommunication device 200 records, for a predetermined amount of time,the wireless network it is associated with, and other wireless networksthat are available. Optionally, and with each of these networks, and incooperation with the signal strength module 2046, the signal strength,or changing signal strength, is stored with each of the respectivewireless network SSIDs. In this exemplary embodiment, the wirelessnetwork to which the mobile communication device 200 is associated isstored in the wireless network registry 216, while the networks that areavailable are stored in the wireless network database 208. Incooperation with the controller 212 and memory 220, this information canbe updated on a predetermined basis, which basis can be shortened, forexample, if the mobile communication device is in an emergency modewhere a 9-1-1 communication has been initiated. In a similar manner, thefrequency of updating this information can be reduced if the mobilecommunication device 200 is not in an emergency communication mode.

The WiFi database/repository 400 stores location information associatedwith a plurality of different wireless access points. In addition, theWiFi database can include cluster wireless access point informationwhich, as discussed above, may be beneficial in determining actuallocation of the caller given that multiple wireless access points couldshare the same SSID. As discussed, and when communicating locationinformation with an outbound 9-1-1 communication, the wireless networkemergency app 204 is not limited to only sending information associatedwith one wireless access point, but can send information associated witha plurality of wireless access points appreciating that the WiFidatabase/repository 400 also stores cluster information of wirelessaccess points, again for assisting with the routing of the communicationto the appropriate PSAP, as well as enabling the PSAP to secure moredefinitive or granular location information about the origin of the9-1-1 communication.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, and upon thewireless network emergency app 204 detecting an outbound 9-1-1communication, the wireless network emergency app 204, in cooperationwith the wireless network database 208, processor 212, memory 220 andwireless network registry 216, as well as optionally with the signalstrength module 2046, can begin logging all wireless access points themobile communication device 200 becomes associated with, as well as allwireless access points that are detectable by the mobile communicationdevice 200. For each of these wireless access points, and in cooperationwith the signal strength module 2046, the signal strength can bemonitored and an indication provided as to whether the signal associatedwith each particular wireless access point is increasing or decreasingthus allowing, for example, a PSAP to determine the direction of travelof the mobile communication device 200. This is possible since the WiFidatabase 400 can maintain the location information associated with thevarious wireless access points it stores, and/or location informationassociated with the wireless access point was forwarded with theoutbound 9-1-1 communication and/or the location information isderivable from wireless access point and storable in the wirelessnetwork database 208 on the mobile communication device 200.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, and uponinitialization of a wireless access point, a user or networkadministrator can be queried as to whether they would like tovoluntarily associate the physical location of the wireless access pointwith the wireless access point, and have this information uploaded tothe WiFi database 400 to assist with routing of an emergencycommunication as well as providing the appropriate PSAP the locationinformation from which the emergency communication was initiated.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, the wireless accesspoint can be associated with location information, with this locationinformation being stored securely in the WAP registration module 5002,and only accessible upon the detection of an emergency communication,such as a 9-1-1 call. More specifically, if a wireless access point,such as wireless access point 1 500 were to detect an outbound 9-1-1communication, in cooperation with the WAP registration module 5002, thelocation associated with the wireless access point 500 is appended to orotherwise associated with the outbound 9-1-1 communication, such asthrough a simple packet detection technique, and forwarded with the9-1-1 communication such that the 9-1-1 communication can beappropriately routed to the appropriate PSAP for that WAP's geographiclocation.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, and upon the SIPmodule 2042 initiating an outbound emergency communication, a wirelessaccess point can detect a SIP invite message and insert in, for example,the location field, the location of the wireless access point. As withbefore, this information can be used by the network 10 and an associatedresource to assist with appropriate routing of the emergencycommunication to the appropriate PSAP for that geographic location.

As will be appreciated, the location information can be shared withmobile communications devices that become associated with or otherwisedetect a wireless access point, and/or the location information can beassociated with outbound communications from a wireless access point to,for example, first responders associated with a PSAP. This locationinformation could be secured in such a manner that it is only accessiblewhen the mobile communication device or the wireless access point hasentered a special emergency mode, that is triggered upon the detectionof a 9-1-1 (or equivalent) communication.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, the locationinformation is supplemented and/or confirmed based on informationdetectable by the presence module 2048. More specifically, on theinitiation and detection by the wireless network emergency app 204 of anoutbound emergency communication, the presence module 2048 can accessany available presence information associated with the mobilecommunication device to help with confirming and/or supplementing thelocation information available based on current wireless access pointassociations and availabilities. Even more specifically, expanding uponthe above example, the presence module 2048 can query a user's calendarfor the day in question, and determine, for example, if there are travelarrangements, such as an e-ticket, for the day in question and canextract this information and forward it with the outbound emergencycommunication to the PSAP. As will be appreciated, this presenceinformation can be restricted based on one or more rules that, forexample, the user has established.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in FIG.5, a wireless network location logger 600 can be used to assist withmapping physical locations to wireless access points and/or clusters ofwireless access points. In one example, the wireless network locationlogger 600 can be associated with, for example, first respondervehicles. Thus, as the first responder vehicles traverse city streets,and in cooperation with the wireless network logging module 610,wireless networks that are visible to and/or associatable with thewireless network location logger 600 can be logged, and their SSIDinformation stored in the wireless network database 620. As the wirelessnetworks and/or clusters of wireless networks are identified, and incooperation with the GPS/location module 650, the current location ofthe wireless network location logger 600 is associated with the SSID ofthe wireless access point(s) and stored in the wireless network database620. As with the prior embodiment, the wireless network registry 640 canassociate the wireless network location logger 600 with a particularwireless access point, and establish communication therewith therebyenabling, for example, the uploading of the information stored in thewireless network database 620 to the WiFi database 400.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the wireless networklocation logger 600 could be a module associated with a mobilecommunication device, such as mobile communication device 200. Thus, asthe mobile communication device(s) travels through a particulargeographic region, wireless network location logger can operate in asimilar manner as discussed above and, using the GPS/location module(optionally using triangulation information) a map of wireless accesspoints can be generated and stored, for example in the wireless networkdatabase 620 for uploading to the WiFi database 400 or, uploaded, forexample in real-time, via a wireless link to the WiFi database 400.

The ability to deploy the wireless network location logger 600 on a massscale could very quickly and easily populate the WiFi database 400 with,for example, most of the wireless access point information within aparticular geographic area(s). This wireless access point informationcan be populated into one or more of a map to assist first respondersand/or utilized for emergency communication routing as discussed above.

This embodiment can be particularly useful where, for example, awireless access point is not configured with the location information.The wireless network location logger 600, in cooperation with theGPS/location module 650 is able to identify, and optionally indicate adegree of accuracy based on the relative signal strength of the wirelessaccess point to the logger 600, an approximate location of the wirelessaccess point.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, wireless networklocation logger 600 can be particularly useful in identifying clustersof wireless access points that may not have location informationassociated therewith. When correlated with GPS/location information fromthe GPS/location module 650, a fairly accurate physical location of aparticular wireless access point cluster can be obtained and againstored in the WiFi database 400 to assist with emergency communicationrouting and providing PSAPs with the most accurate information to assistfirst responders.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, the PSAP 300 can beequipped with a reverse 9-1-1 module 3002, a modality module 3004, and alogging module 3006. These modules can be particularly useful in theevent of a dropped communication with the mobile communication device200, and the desire for a PSAP to re-establish communication with thedevice from which the emergency communication was initiated.

Upon an emergency communication being dropped, assuming thecommunication was originally connected to the PSAP, the PSAP knows notonly the identity of the mobile communication device 200, but also thelast device (node) which the mobile communication device 200 wasassociated with. The PSAP may also be aware of other wireless accesspoints in the vicinity if the wireless network database 208 was able toupload this information. Therefore, upon a dropped communication, and incooperation with the reverse 9-1-1 module 3002, a PSAP is able toattempt to re-establish communication with the mobile communicationdevice 200. Appreciating that there may be a desire to not communicateover the same modality with which the emergency communication wasinitially established, in cooperation with the modality module 3004 andmodality module 2044, a different communication modality could beestablished between the PSAP and the mobile communication device 200.

In accordance with a first exemplary embodiment, and assuming the PSAPis able to re-establish communication with the mobile communicationdevice 200, a query could be sent to the user associated with the mobilecommunication device, such as a simple text message, asking the user ifthey would like to switch communication modalities, and whichcommunication modality to switch to. If the reverse 9-1-1 communicationwere a SIP-based communication, it would be particularly easy totransfer between various modalities, as well as supplement acommunication with additional modalities (e.g. video, audio, multimedia)simply relying on the underlying SIP protocols.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, the modality module3004 could query modality module 2044 as to which communicationmodalities are available on the mobile communication device 200. ThePSAP could systematically or arbitrarily pick one or more of thesecommunication modalities serially, or in parallel, and attempt tore-establish communication with the user of the mobile communicationdevice 200.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the modality module3004 could instruct the modality module 2044 to have the mobilecommunication device 200 enter a special emergency mode where the PSAP300 can automatically activate any one or more of the communicationsand/or image capture and/or audio recording devices associated with themobile communication device 200 in an attempt to gain visibility intothe nature and extent of the emergency. For example, the PSAP 300 cansend an instruction to the mobile communication device 200 telling themobile communication device to turn on video camera as well as themicrophone. In a similar manner, the PSAP could open a communicationchannel with the mobile communication device 200 such that a PSAPoperator could communicate, via the speakerphone, with the user of themobile communication device.

Logging module 3006 can be used in cooperation with one or more ofcluster information stored in the WiFi database 400 and informationstored in the wireless network database 208 to assist with there-establishing of the communication to the mobile communication device200. More specifically, the logging module 3006 can assist the reverse9-1-1 module 3002 with systematically attempting to re-establishcommunication not only via the wireless access point with which thewireless communication device was associated when the outbound emergencycommunication was initiated, but also via the wireless access pointsthat are detectable by the mobile communication device 200 and stored inthe wireless network database 208.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, the logging module3006, cooperating with information in the WiFi database 400, can be usedto adaptively predict where a mobile communication device 200 may be,and therefore which wireless access point(s) the device may beassociated with. More specifically, the logging module may haveinformation indicating the direction of movement of the mobilecommunication device 200, and based on this direction and velocityinformation could optionally predict where the wireless access point maybe. Based on this prediction, a correlation can be made through thewireless access points where the mobile communication device 200 isprojected to be, and the presence of that mobile communication device inassociation with another access point used in an attempt to re-establishcommunication therewith.

In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, when the mobilecommunication device 200 enters the emergency mode as detected by thewireless network emergency app 204, and if communications are lostbetween the mobile communication device 200 and the PSAP 300 such as,for example, communication is lost to the wireless access point withwhich the mobile communication device 200 was communicating, upon a nextwireless access point being associatable with the mobile communicationdevice 200, a new emergency communication is automatically reinitiatedto the PSAP.

FIG. 6 outlines an exemplary method of associating and updating locationinformation with a wireless access point. In particular, control beginsin step S600 and continues to step S610. In step S610, the wirelessaccess point is initialized. Next, in step S620, the wireless accesspoint can one or more of prompt and acquire location information. Forexample, the wireless access point can be equipped with an appropriateinterface, such as a graphical user interface, that asks the installerto enter the physical address associated with the wireless access point.It should be appreciated that this physical access can be very granular,such as Room 650, 6th Floor, Best Rate Inn, 253 Main Street, DenverColo., a GPS coordinate, or more general, such as a street address.

Alternatively, or in addition, the wireless access point can acquirelocation information such as from a GPS or comparable location receivingdevice. Next, in step S630, a determination is made as to whether thewireless access point should enter a special query mode. If the wirelessaccess point is to enter a special query mode, control continues to stepS632 with control otherwise jumping to step S640.

In step S632, and in the special query mode, the wireless access pointcan provide SSID information as well as the physical locationinformation to a wireless network location logger. As an alternative,and for example if the wireless access point does not currently have aphysical location associated with it, upon receiving the query from thenetwork location logger, the wireless access point provides SSIDinformation to the wireless network location logger which thenassociates with the SSID location information that the wireless networklocation logger has acquired. Next, in step S634, the location andassociated SSID information are registered with a WiFi database and/orrepository. Then, in step S636, and if it is determined that thewireless access point has moved, the movement can trigger the wirelessaccess point to update its current location which can then be forwardedto update the WiFi database/depository as discussed above. Control thencontinues to step S670 where the control sequence ends.

In step S640, the acquired and/or entered location information isassociated with those wireless access point's SSID. Next, in step S650,this information is stored in the WiFi database/repository with controlcontinuing to step S660.

In step S660, determination is made whether the location of the wirelessaccess point has changed. If the location has changed, control jumpsback to step S620 with control otherwise continuing to step S670 wherethe control sequence ends.

As discussed, the determination as to whether the location has changedcan be based on one or more rules or thresholds and can further be basedon one or more of an elapsed time, a change in distance, a change indirection, and/or a change in speed.

It should further be appreciated that the wireless network locationlogger need not be a singular device, but could be a plurality ofdevices that are harvesting SSID information and associating locationinformation therewith. Therefore, there is the possibility that the WiFidatabase/repository could receive numerous locations corresponding toone wireless access point. Having various location informationassociated with a singular wireless access point could be reconciled byone or more of averaging information, correlating signal strength, andlocation information to determine a “center” of the wireless accesspoint's, and/or correlating signal strength, location information andSSID to provide an even more granular or accurate estimation of where acommunication has originated from.

FIG. 7 outlines an exemplary method for assisting with determining thelocation of an emergency communication associated with a WiFi device. Inparticular, control begins in step S700 and continues to step S710. Instep S710, the mobile communication device one or more of determineswhich wireless access point it is associated with or detects availablewireless access points. Next, in step S720, the signal strengthassociated with one or more of the wireless access points identified instep S710 can optionally be recorded. Then, in step S730, logging of thevarious wireless access points identified in step S710, and theirassociated signal strengths in step S720 can be recorded for a period oftime. Control then continues to step S740.

In step S740, an emergency or 9-1-1 communication is detected. Next, instep S750, a determination is made as to whether the mobilecommunication device should enter a special emergency mode. If themobile communication device is to enter the special emergency mode,control continues to step S752 with control otherwise jumping to stepS760.

In step S752, and optionally in conjunction with acquired presenceinformation, location information is assembled and then forwarded withthe outbound 9-1-1 or emergency communication. As discussed, this can beassembled on the mobile communications device where, for example, themobile communications device received the location information from thewireless access point. Alternatively, or in addition, the initiating ofthe outbound emergency communication can be detected by the wirelessaccess point, with this outbound communication appended with orotherwise associated with the location information associated with thewireless access point. Next, in step S754, the location information isused to assist with appropriate routing of the emergency communicationto the appropriate authorities and/or PSAP. Then, in step S756, themobile communication device can optionally commence the logging orrecording of wireless access point information such that if, forexample, the mobile communications device is moving, updated or new WAPinformation and/or signal strengths can be forwarded to the PSAP orotherwise stored on the mobile communication device. Control thencontinues to step S780.

In step S760, and similar to step S752, the location information isassembled and forwarded with the outbound 9-1-1 or emergencycommunication. Then, in step S770, and in a similar manner to step S754,the location information is used to appropriately route the emergency or9-1-1 communication to the appropriate authorities and/or PSAP. Controlthen continues to step S780.

In step S780, a determination is made as to whether the emergencycommunication link between the mobile communication device and theauthorities and/or PSAP has been lost. If the communication has beenlost, control jumps to A with control otherwise continuing to step S790where the control sequence ends.

FIG. 8 outlines an exemplary method for changing communicationmodalities with the mobile communication device. In particular, controlbegins in step S800 and continues to step S810. While FIG. 8 will bedescribed in relation to a scenario in which the emergency link betweenmobile communication device and the PSAP or authorities has been lost,it should be appreciated that the ability to change modalities is notbased on a lost communications link, and can be performed at any timeregardless of whether or not the communications link was lost ormaintained.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, in step S810 an attempt tore-establish the communication link is performed. Assuming thecommunication link has been re-established, control continues to stepS820 where a determination is made as to whether the communicationmodality should be changed. If the communication modality should bechanged, control continues to step S830 with control otherwise jumpingto step S822.

In step S830, a determination is made as to whether a query should beestablished to determine available communications device communicationmodalities. If the determination is to be made, control continues tostep S832 with control otherwise jumping to step S840. In step S840, adetermination is made as to whether the caller should be queriedregarding which modality to change to. If the caller is to be queried,control continues to step S850 with control otherwise jumping to stepS842.

In step S850, the caller associated with the mobile communicationsdevice is queried as to which communications modality they would like tocontinue communications on, or supplement the original communicationwith, with that additional modality being switched to, or added,respectively. Next, in step S852, an attempt can be made to contact themobile communication device at the last known good WiFi location usingthe requested communication modality or, if a communication link isalready established, simply switching to or supplementing an existingcommunication modality with the newly requested communication modality.In accordance with an optional embodiment, the mobile communicationdevice can attempt to be contacted via a known proximate wireless accesspoint, such as in a situation where the WiFi database has a directory ofclustered wireless access points. Control then continues to step S854.

In step S854, one or more of the camera, microphone, and video cameracan optionally be activated with control continuing to step S856 wherethe control sequence ends.

In step S842, a new 9-1-1 communication from the same point utilizinganother communication modality can optionally be detected, with thecommunication being routed in the same manner as the previouscommunication and optionally associated with the previous communicationlog. Control then continues to step S844 where the control sequenceends.

In step S832, device capabilities can one or more of be looked up orqueried from the device itself. For example, and in conjunction with thelocation information forwarded to the PSAP, device identificationinformation can be forwarded to the PSAP, such that the PSAP, withreference to a lookup table, can determine the features available withthat communications device. Knowing the features, the PSAP will alsoknow how to activate certain accessories, such as the camera,microphone, video camera, and the like. Control then continues to StepS834.

In step S834, communications are re-established in a similar manner tostep S852. Likewise, in step S836, one or more of the camera, microphoneand video camera can optionally be activated with control continuing tostep S838 where the control sequence ends.

In step S822, and if the communication is not already established, thereis an attempt to contact the device at the last known good WiFilocation. Optionally, as with step S834 and step S852, an attempt can bemade to contact the mobile communication device via one or more adjacentwireless access point locations. Control then continues to step S824where the option is given to activate one or more of the camera,microphone and/or video camera. Control then continues to step S826where the control sequence ends.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, WiFidatabase/repository can further be populated with which PSAP orauthority an emergency communication associated with a particularwireless access point should be forwarded to. For example, as discussedabove in relation to the Amtrak train scenario, Amtrak could requestthat all emergency communications originating from one of their wirelessaccess points be forwarded to the dedicated Amtrak emergency responseteam.

While the above-described techniques have been discussed in relation toa particular sequence of events, it should be appreciated that changesto this sequence can occur without materially effecting the operation ofthe embodiments. Additionally, the exact sequence of events need notoccur as set forth in the exemplary embodiments. The exemplarytechniques illustrated herein are not limited to the specificallyillustrated embodiments but can also be utilized with the otherexemplary embodiments and each described feature is individually andseparately claimable.

The systems, methods and protocols herein can be implemented on aspecial purpose computer in addition to or in place of the describedcommunication equipment, a programmed microprocessor or microcontrollerand peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or otherintegrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard-wired electronicor logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a programmable logicdevice such as PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL, a communications device, such as aphone, any comparable means, or the like. In general, any device capableof implementing a state machine that is in turn capable of implementingthe methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the variouscommunication methods, protocols and techniques herein.

Furthermore, the disclosed methods may be readily implemented insoftware using object or object-oriented software developmentenvironments that provide portable source code that can be used on avariety of computer or workstation platforms. Alternatively, thedisclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware usingstandard logic circuits or VLSI design. Whether software or hardware isused to implement the systems described herein is dependent on the speedand/or efficiency requirements of the system, the particular function,and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor ormicrocomputer systems being utilized. The security systems, methods andprotocols illustrated herein can be readily implemented in hardwareand/or software using any known or later developed systems orstructures, devices and/or software by those of ordinary skill in theapplicable art from the functional description provided herein and witha general basic knowledge of the computer and security arts.

Moreover, the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in softwarethat can be stored on a non-transitory storage medium, executed on aprogrammed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of a controllerand memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, or the like.In these instances, the systems and methods described herein can beimplemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet,JAVA® or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server or computerworkstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated communication systemor system component, or the like. The system can also be implemented byphysically incorporating the system and/or method into a software and/orhardware system, such as the hardware and software systems of acommunications device or system.

It is therefore apparent that there have been provided systems,apparatuses and methods for facilitating call handling and informationacquisition. While the embodiments have been described in conjunctionwith a number of embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives,modifications and variations would be or are apparent to those ofordinary skill in the applicable arts. Accordingly, it is intended toembrace all such alternatives, modifications, equivalents and variationsthat are within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

1. A method for determining a location of a communication originating ona WiFi network comprising: receiving a communication from acommunication device, the communication having associated therewith WiFinetwork information, the WiFi network information correlatable to orassociated with previously stored location information.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the WiFi network is a wireless data network and thecommunication device has no GPS functionality and no cellularconnectivity.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location informationis included in a SIP message.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein one ormore of: the location information is dynamically updated as the WiFinetwork moves; when relative signal strengths among detected WiFinetworks are constant and non-varying, it is assumed a caller is notmoving; and when it is detected that relative signal strengths amongdetected WiFi networks are changing, such that some signals are gettingstronger while others are getting weaker, it is assumed that the calleris moving and a direction of movement can be obtained.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising routing the communication to one or moreresponsible entities based on the location information.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the routing is to a PSAP (Public Safety AnsweringPoint) and the communication is an emergency communication.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the communication is further associated withpresence information.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdetermining one or more available WiFi networks, the WiFi networks eachhaving associated therewith their respective location information andone or more of forwarding this location information to a PSAP androuting an emergency call based on the location information.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein a cluster of WiFi networks are used todetermine one or more of communication routing and caller location. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein a wireless network location loggerrecords WiFi network locations, the recorded information storable in aWiFi database.
 11. A system for determining a location of acommunication originating on a WiFi network comprising: a communicationdevice that initiates a communication, the communication havingassociated therewith WiFi network information, the WiFi networkinformation correlatable to or associated with previously storedlocation information.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the WiFinetwork is a wireless data network and the communication device has noGPS functionality and no cellular connectivity.
 13. The system of claim11, wherein the location information is included in a SIP message. 14.The system of claim 11, wherein the location information is dynamicallyupdated as the WiFi network moves.
 15. The system of claim 11, furthercomprising a network resource that routes the communication to one ormore responsible entities based on the location information.
 16. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the routing is to a PSAP (Public SafetyAnswering Point) and the communication is an emergency communication.17. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication is furtherassociated with presence information.
 18. The system of claim 11,further comprising a processor that determines one or more availableWiFi networks, the WiFi networks each having associated therewith theirrespective location information and one or more of forwarding thislocation information to a PSAP and routing an emergency call based onthe location information.
 19. The system of claim 11, wherein a clusterof WiFi networks are used to determine one or more of communicationrouting and caller location.
 20. The system of claim 11, wherein awireless network location logger records WiFi network locations, therecorded information storable in a WiFi database.